Courses:

Nursing Assistant

Course Description:

This course meets the state requirements for a NA program which will allow students to take the Minnesota Nursing Assistant Certification Competency Evaluation Exam, following successful course completion. While it is the student’s responsibility to arrange the certification exam, there will be information about test sites and contacts provided toward the end of the trimester. There is a cost for the exam which will be reimbursed if you are employed as a NA/R in a nursing home within a certain amount of time. Class topics include: residents’ rights, standard precautions, emergency procedures, death and dying, nutrition, personal cares, vital signs, body mechanics, mental health, and many others. Becoming an NA/R can be the beginning of several different paths. Students interested in pursuing a career as a nurse, EMT or other health care professional will benefit from this training by seeing first-hand the job duties of nurses and other health care workers. Other students may be looking for a rewarding career directly after high school.

Attendance:

A minimum number of classroom and clinical hours are required by the state for exam eligibility. Students with more than five absence occurrences will no longer meet eligibility requirements. This is strictly an hours issue and has nothing to do with whether an absence is excused or unexcused. Also, three times being tardy to class equals one absence. Students are responsible for any information presented when absent. The instructor will provide “follow along notes” but students will need to copy from a friend or use the textbook to find the information.

Clinical Experience:

In addition to classroom time, students must attend clinicals (hands-on experience) in a long-term care facility to be eligible to take the state exam and to get articulation credits. Clinicals will be held in the evenings from 3:00-9:30 p.m. at a local nursing home near the end of the trimester. Clinicals are pass/fail and are not required for this course.

Students are responsible for their own transportation.

Clinical time cannot be made up. If you are absent or late, you will not be eligible for the state exam.

Students will be provided uniforms which can be purchased, if desired.

Students will behave in a professional manner.

Students who have not passed all in-class skills and tests cannot participate in clinicals.

Inappropriate behavior in class/lab may disqualify a student from attending clinicals.

Mantoux:

A Mantoux (tuberculin) skin test is required prior to being placed in the clinical setting. The process involves injecting a small amount of fluid under the skin and returning in 48-72 hours to have the area assessed (read). The Nursing Assistant instructor will administer the Mantoux test at OSH after receiving a signed permission slip. Students may choose to have the Mantoux test administered at their clinic and need to provide documentation of negative results at least two weeks before clinicals begin.

Criminal Background Checks:

Students are required to have criminal background checks prior to being placed in the clinical setting.

Reimbursement:

Students will be reimbursed for the cost of the State Performance Exam by a nursing home after 90 days of employment at that facility. Receipts must be submitted to the facility (keep copies for your records!) within one year of completing the course.

Course Prerequisites: None

First Aid and CPR

Course Description:

As part of a three-trimester sequence, this class introduces the basic concepts of first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), as well as lifesaving techniques which will prepare the student to provide care to a patient within the first ten minutes of an emergency.

Practical Skills Evaluations: In order to earn certification in First Aid, CPR & AED, the student will be required to practice and successfully complete a practical skills evaluation. While class time will be devoted to practicing these skills, lab time may be used in the event further practice is necessary.

Course Prerequisites: None; however, this class is reserved for students in grades 11 and 12 only.

Exploring Health Careers

Course Description:

This course is designed to provide students with opportunities to explore careers in the health care industry and to develop standard competencies (Health Occupations Personnel Essentials, HOPE) required for working in a health care environment, such as: ethics, safety practices, communication, delivery systems, legal issues, employability skills, teamwork, health maintenance practices, technology skills, and information technology applications. This course helps students develop behaviors and communication for success in a health care setting Students will experience learning environments that incorporate classroom, community and distance learning via the internet. This course is one trimester and meets for 50 minutes/day.

Course Units:

Week 1: Introduction

Week 2: Safety/Infection Control

Week 3: Communication

Week 4: Ethics/Legal Issues

Week 5: Lab/Imaging Careers

Week 6: Nursing/Medical/Emergency Careers

Week 7: Dental Careers

Week 8: Complementary/Alternative Careers

Week 9: Veterinary Careers

Week 10: Community/Social/Mental Health/Rehab Careers

Week 11: Environmental/Biotech Careers

Week 12: Research Presentations

Course Prerequisites: None

Medical Terminology

Course Description:

Students will study medical terminology by learning the basics of medical word parts and how they work together. This information is then applied to the study of medical terms relating to various body systems (skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, reproductive, integumentary, endocrine, nervous, lymphatic/immune, and special senses) and to diagnostic and imaging procedures. Medical terminology is infused across the National Health Care Standards and Pathways. In addition, most post-secondary health care programs require a medical terminology course. This course is articulated with regional colleges for credit upon post-secondary enrollment.

Course Design:

This is a one trimester course that meets one hour/day. Lecture, visual presentations, review, and discussion of the end-of-chapter exercises and special terminology will be the main instructional methodologies. The review exercises at the end of each chapter are valuable tools for mastering medical terminology as are the exercises on the student CD-ROM.

Course Prerequisites: None

Emergency Medical Responder

Course Description:

As the second part of a three-trimester sequence, this class introduces anatomy and physiology, as well as builds on skills earned in Advanced First Aid & CPR, including splinting, bandaging, and oxygen use. It also allows the student the opportunity to earn the Emergency Medical Responder certification.

Course Requirements:

Practical Skills Evaluations: In order to earn the Emergency Medical Responder certification, the student will be required to practice and successfully complete a practical skills evaluation. While class time will be devoted to practicing these skills, lab time may be used in the event further practice is necessary.

Laboratory Hours:As part of this course, each student is required to earn 10 lab hours. These lab hours may be earned by attending the after-school lab, held on Thursdays from 2:00-9:00 p.m.; however, time must be spent working on homework, skills practice, or make-up work in order to earn hours this way. Lab hours may also be earned by working one of the many events organized by OEC, including teaching CPR, helping with after-school moulages, and working medical for events such as the Vasaloppet ski race or the various sporting events OEC is contracted to work.

Course Prerequisites: None; however, this class is reserved for students in grades 11 and 12.

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

Course Description:

As the third part of a three-trimester sequence, this class builds on knowledge and skills obtained in the Emergency Medical Responder course, in part by using scenario-based experiences in preparation to sit for the emergency medical technician written and skills examinations.

Course Requirements:

Practical Skills Evaluations: In order to earn the Emergency Medical Technician certification, the student will be required to practice and successfully complete a practical skills evaluation. While class time will be devoted to practicing these skills, lab time may be used in the event further practice is necessary.

National Registry Certification: To be eligible to sit for the National Registry Emergency Medical Technician written examination, the student must complete the following steps:

The student must be 18-years-old in order to challenge the Skills Examination.

Laboratory Hours: As part of this course, each student is required to earn 15 lab hours. These lab hours may be earned by attending the after-school lab, held on Thursdays from 2:00-9:00 p.m.; however, time must be spent working on homework, skills practice, or make-up work in order to earn hours this way. Lab hours may also be earned by working one of the many events organized by OEC including teaching CPR, helping with after-school moulages, and working medical for events such as the NSC Cup Soccer Tournament or the various sporting events OEC is contracted to work.

Course Prerequisites: None; however, this class is reserved for students in grades 11 and 12.